A leash, in surfing parlance, is a length of rope of which one end is connected to a surfboard and allows the surfer to anchor the surfboard to their person through the leash at a safe distance. A modern surf leash generally consists of three main parts, i.e. the “rail saver” which attaches to the surf board; the “cuff” which attaches to the surfer; and the cord extending between the rail saver and the cuff and which is generally a length of polyurethane cord. The cord of a modern leash typically connects to the cuff and the rail saver through a swivel that is intended to reduce tangling of the cord.
The general purpose of the leash is to enable surfers to easily recover their surfboards after having been separated therefrom. More than a mere convenience, the leash may be a critical safety device since it may allow a surfer to reach their board for use as a flotation device should they find themselves in trouble in the water. It may also prevent the surfboard from hitting and injuring fellow surfers in close proximity to a surfer that has been separated from their board for whatever reason.
Surfboard leashes come in a variety of lengths and widths and the choice of a leash and its dimensions may depend on the preferences of the surfer. For example, a thinner leash is weaker, but may create less drag through the water. Regardless of the dimensions thereof, a leash remains susceptible to damage and, ultimately, breakage. Simply tying a knot with the two severed ends will generally not hold, since the polyurethane material of the cord may likely cause the knot to become undone. Even if the leash is manufactured from other materials, it may also not hold a knot since the leash may be subjected to considerable tension during use.
Should a surfer's leash therefore become damaged and/or severed during use, and they are not equipped with a spare leash, the surfer is faced with two equally unattractive choices. The surfer could continue without a proper leash, which may expose the surfer and those around him or her to danger. Alternatively the surfer may be forced to retire for the day, which is also clearly undesirable.
US/20020132538 discloses a leash repair device used on a sporting leash, namely an aquatic leash, to restore the sporting leash as a unit after it has snapped into two pieces. The leash repair device incorporates a sleeve having at least one aperture and two receiving ends. Each piece of the snapped leash is inserted into the receiving ends of the sleeve and is fastened to the sleeve by introducing at least one fastener into and through the aperture until the fastener has come into direct contact with the leash. It teaches that the fasteners are screws that are fastened using a separate tool. This may be impractical and the need for an additional tool may render it unsuitable for on-the-fly leash repairs. Furthermore, the applicant believes that the use of screws as taught in US/20020132538 may damage the leash at the point of repair, thereby making the leash susceptible to further breakage when tension is applied during subsequent use.
The invention disclosed herein addresses these problems, at least to some extent, and may provide even further improvements.
The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended only to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in the art as at the priority date of the application.